Card separator and support



Feb. 26, 1952 H. CROUCH CARD SEPARATOR AND SUPPORT Filed Feb. 14, 1949 INVENTOR. HOWARD CROUCH Patented Feb. 26, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,586,920 oAnn SEPABATOR- AND SUP ORT Howard Grouch, Arlington, Va. App i ation February 14, 1.9%9. Ser a N ,25 0

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a card separator and supporter. At the present time cards are used for keeping records in hospitals, business establishments, and the like. These cards are punched in order to make a record of desired data and after being punched are placed in trays which may hold 3000 cards or any other predetermined number. After the cards have been punched and stacked in trays and it is desired to separate certain cards from the rest, as many cards as can be conveniently held in a persons hand are withdrawn from the tray and passed through a sortin machine. This causes certain cards to be separated from the others and the cards not desired are then returned to the tray. Another batch is then removed and run through the sorting machine.

The cards which are returned to the tray must be kept in their original sequence and it is one object of this invention to provide a device which can be thrust into a tray when a batch of cards is removed instead of using a block of wood or the like, and prevent cards forwardly and rearwardly of the removed batch from movin towards each other or tilting into the space previously occupied by the removed cards. t will thus be seen that the space occupied by a number of cards can be kept open when the cards are removed and the cards replaced in the tray in their proper position and in proper sequence relative to other cards in the tray.

Another object of the invention is to provide a separater and support consisting of companion members movable towards and away from each other so that when a batch of cards is removed from a tray the device may be thrust into the tray and accommodate itself to the size of the gap or space in the tray.

Another object of the invention is to provide a card spacer and support having card-engaging members which are urged away from each other and thus held firmly against front and rear batches of cards where they will apply pressure to hold the cards upright and prevent them from tilting downwardly into the space.

Another object of the invention is to provide a card spacer and support of such formation that its companion members will engage cards in upwardly spaced relation to lower edges thereof and therefore apply pressure to the cards in sucha manner that the cards will not accidently work loose from the card-engaging members and tilt towards a reclining position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a card separater and support having pivoted cardengaging members which are pivoted together for understood that it is not restricted to this use and that it may be used for holding files, envelopes, and the like spaced from each other, the dimensions of the device depending upon the particular use for which it is intended.

A card spacer and support of the improved construction is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view showing the card separater and support thrust into a tray between spaced batches of cards.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken longitudinally through the tray upon the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 3-93 of Figure2.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the card separater and support.

Fig. 5- is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Fig. 6' is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 66 of Figure 4.

Fig. '7 is a side view of a card separator and support having a modified construction.

In the drawings there has been shown a tray I which contains a large number of cards 2, the cards illustrated representing cards of the type used in many commercial businesses and punched in predetermined places before being deposited in the tray. When it is desiredto sort the cards and remove certain ones from the tray they are grasped in batches and withdrawn from the tray for passage through a sorting machine, cards not wanted being returned to the tray. As each batch of cards is removed from the tray a space 3 is left in the tray and this space must be kept open so that the cards may be returned in their proper position in the tray and cards in front of and back of the space prevented from moving towards each other or tilting to a position in which they rest fiat upon the bottom of the tray and are liable to become mixed, or make it diflicult to return cards to the tray in their proper position.

At the present time it is customary to thrust any convenient article into the tray in space from which cards have been removed but this has not been found satisfactory as the article used does not usually fit snugly in the space and in addition often does not engage the cards in such position that the cards will be prevented from tilting towards a reclining position. These objections are overcome by use of the card supporter constituting the subject matter of this invention.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 through 6 the card separator and supporter consists of companion legs or sections 4 which are formed of stifi sheet metal, or other suitable material, and of less width than the cards so that the device may be readily inserted into the tray or removed therefrom. Upper ends of the legs are formed with hinge ears 5 through which a pivot pin 6 passes, and upon referring to Figures 1 and 4 it will be seen that the hinge ears are arranged in groups so spaced from each other transversely of the device that a space I is formed through which a portion of the pivot pin is exposed so that a helical spring 8 may be mounted about the mid-portion of the pin with its arms 9 engaging under or inner faces of upper portions of the legs and urging the legs away from each other. The legs are bowed inwardly longitudinally of the device and have their upper and lower end portions thus providing the support with an enlarged upper portion constituting a handle Ill and lips ll across lower ends of the legs which extend towards each other, at a downward incline. By so forming the legs the upper portion or handle ID of the separator can be easily grasped and when the separator is thrust downwardly into the tray with lower edges of its legs resting upon the bottom of the tray, portions 12 of the legs along upper edges of the lips ll will bear against cards at front and rear ends of the space 3 in such upwardly spaced relation to lower edges of the cards that the cards will be very effectively prevented from tilting towards a reclining position and slip out of engagement with the legs of the supporter. Chains l3 which are mounted between upper portions of the legs limit spreading movement thereof and the separator and support will be prevented from spreading beyond the position shown in Figure 2. If the separator is removed from the tray and set at rest upon a table or desk and a person should rest his hand upon the upper end of the separator pressure exerted can not spread the legs beyond the extent allowed by the chains and bend the legs out of their proper configuration. It is preferable to have the legs held in a retracted position when the device is not in use and in order to do so there has been provided a U-shaped clip l4 carried by a chain l5 and of such size that it may be applied to the legs in straddling relation thereto and hold the legs close to each other as shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, and 6.

When this separator and supporter is in use a number of cards are removed from the tray in which they are stacked for passage through a sorting machine. The separator and support is grasped by its upper portion or handle l0 and thrust downwardly into space 3 created by removal of a batch of cards. The clip is detached from the legs either before or after the device is thrust into the tray and when gripping pressure upon the handle is released the spring 8 spreads the legs and causes their lower portions to bear against the cards at the front end and bent towards each other,

the rear end of the space. The cards in the front and rear portions of the tray will then be subjected to pressure which will hold them in close contacting engagement with each other and prevent the space 3 from being closed by spreading of the cards or by tilting thereof towards a reclining position. After certain cards have been removed by the sorting machine the remaining cards can be very easily restored to their original place in the tray by thrusting a side portion of a stack of cards held by the operator into a corner portion of the space 3 between the separator and a side wall of the tray and then withdrawing the separator and tilting the cards downwardly transversely of the tray into place.

In Figure 7 there has been shown a separator and support of a modified construction. In this embodiment of the invention the device consists of companion sections I! which are pivoted to each other by a pin [8 and have lips l9 at their lower ends and their pivoted upper ends provided with handles 20. The handles are urged away from each other by a spring 21 and movement of the legs or sections away from each other is limited by a chain ill or two or more such chains if desired. By grasping the handles 20 the sections I! may be shifted towards each other a sufficient distance for insertion of the device into space in a tray and the handles then released so that the spring may urge the said sections away from each other and into pressing contact with cards in front of and in back of the space.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific construction illustrated and described but that the construction may be modified in accordance with the scope of the claim. It will also be understood that while the device has been shown of dimensions adapting it for use in a box of cards it may be of any size desired and may be used for holding apart envelopes, file wrappers, and the like stacked in a cabinet or other container.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

A card separator comprising companion sections formed of stiff sheet material and having upper portions bent towards each other and forming extensions disposed at substantially right angles to the length of said sections and having sets of hinge ears pivoted to each other by a hinge pin, meeting portions of said extensions being formed with registering recesses, forming an opening through which a portion of said hinge pin passes, a spring about the portion of the hinge pin passing through said opening having p01- tions engaging under faces of said extensions and urging the said sections away from each other towards an extended position, lower end portions of said sections being bent inwardly and forming lips extending diagonally at a downward incline and having lower edges abutting when the said sections are swung towards each other to a retracted position, portions of said sections between their lips and their inwardly extending upper extensions being bowed inwardly and forming outer finger-receiving recesses extending the full width of the said sections and having their upper ends spaced downwardly from the said upper extensions, and a U-shaped clip of stiff material connected with one of said sections by a flexible carrier and having a bridge portion and side arms spaced from each other a distance adapting the clip to straddle the contacting portions of the inwardly bowed portions of the said sections and Number hold the sections retracted. 667,865 HOWARD CROUCH. 731,567 736,714 REFERENCES CITED 5 1,038,703 The following references are of record in the 1,556,131 file of this patent: A $93 33 UNITED STATES PATENTS h Number Name Date 10 2,331,035

442,926 Traut Dec. 16, 1890 Name Date Brown Feb. 12, 1901 Hecht June 23, 1903 Gendron Aug. 18, 1903 Wood Sept. 17, 1912 Scoville Oct. 6, 1925 Van Korlaar Apr. 3, 1928 Sherman Oct. 8, 1929 Hampton June 12, 1934 Lundstrom Oct. 5, 19 43 

